Chick integration mistakes?

[Sinadrea]

Hi all,
I am needing to vent because I lost a Speckled Sussex last night. My chicks are going on 6 weeks old and I have been putting them in a caged area outside in the day time when I or my husband are home.
For some reason our SS was becoming an escape artist, she would always be on top of feeder or waterer when I would open the dog pen to feed or take birds out. She would then immediately fly out so I would have to quickly catch her to put her back in the pen. Her rambunctious personality was growing on me.

Yesterday I was at work and my husband found our SS dead between the caged area and the chicken run. She had escaped the caged area because I didn't have the netting on top fully secure. I feel terrible about the incident. I didn't realize how aggressive chickens could be towards chicks until this occurence.

I was wondering if any would like to share their common mistakes, mishaps, or general advice when trying to integrate chicks with their existing flock?

Thanks, all!

 

[MarketGardener]

so sorry, i am doing the same right now and i am worried, i have 1 mum with 7 weekers in the flock who are just fitting in, and a new mom with 3 weekers, now the older mom hates the new mom and her babies and will attack them,
also if my other hen is about she gangs up, and if she does then her hens below that follow too and will do whatever she does,
this if i take her away stops all others doing anythign and they play nice, until th eother hen has a problem, the 3rd hen here used to be broody and was broken from it to stop this happening, now she hates all chicks it seems,

im trying to get the mom to leave the 7 weekers as they all roost with the flock, she hates beign away from them but i need her to stop possessing over them they been in the flock since week 2,

i have 15 new 7 weekers in a coop next to them ready to intergrate, my new mum will accept them but is getting agressive to the other 7 weekers in retaliation to their mom attacking her and getting used to having to avoid or defend and she will choose to run first she is a soft git,

mom 1 was an amazing mom did the whole intro thing perfect and defended them
mom 2 felt shy to to it and hides from the rest she is good if no 1 is around,

my plan is as i have 2 runs next to each other is this,
i am closing down the new 15 to half the space, to allow the flock and mums and babies to have extra space around them to discourage fighting,
this will also open up a bigger window for interaction between them as they have 2 walls no 1 wall visible and new ones cant hide at the back as much as they have 2 angles to meet them,
under the first runs coop is my old egg compatment which i am making into a coop for the 15 younsters to go in, it will be mesh on the back side ( which is inside the other coop )(i have 1 shed with a coop built in the side wall for the other run acccessable inside to both )
so i am making the base a coop so at night the 15 new ones will be ''IN'' their coop where they all roost, giving 3 angles of interaction,

i will put all feeders and water around the edge so all birds eating share joy with eachother,
also MORE WATER FEEDERS BOWLS AND FOOD FEEDERS TROUGHS as i find they are getting territorial over water and food even if there is enough.
then THENI FIND THIS !!!! they get territorial over WOOD!! HIDE SPACES!! pirches!! toys!! LOGS!!!!! a bloody bit of plastic flapping!!!!! the gate spot!!!!


so they register the chnages at night and the effect is apparent the next day, so dont move stuff in the day do it at evening so when they come out its a whole NEW! adventure!! also LOADS of hide spaces pallets chairs benches whatever so there is alot of room to move and run hide without being cornered,

i am battling this now i hope ya get it working, my 7 weeker is a speckled sussex, my hens are sussex and my new birds are bramahs there so docile i dont they they will dodge being atacked there slow birds and just hide and hope for the best lol

i fall out with all my hens there absolute oooo i cant even use the words!! best friends... pfft LOL

 

[Sinadrea]

so sorry, i am doing the same right now and i am worried, i have 1 mum with 7 weekers in the flock who are just fitting in, and a new mom with 3 weekers, now the older mom hates the new mom and her babies and will attack them,
also if my other hen is about she gangs up, and if she does then her hens below that follow too and will do whatever she does,
this if i take her away stops all others doing anythign and they play nice, until th eother hen has a problem, the 3rd hen here used to be broody and was broken from it to stop this happening, now she hates all chicks it seems,

im trying to get the mom to leave the 7 weekers as they all roost with the flock, she hates beign away from them but i need her to stop possessing over them they been in the flock since week 2,

i have 15 new 7 weekers in a coop next to them ready to intergrate, my new mum will accept them but is getting agressive to the other 7 weekers in retaliation to their mom attacking her and getting used to having to avoid or defend and she will choose to run first she is a soft git,

mom 1 was an amazing mom did the whole intro thing perfect and defended them
mom 2 felt shy to to it and hides from the rest she is good if no 1 is around,

my plan is as i have 2 runs next to each other is this,
i am closing down the new 15 to half the space, to allow the flock and mums and babies to have extra space around them to discourage fighting,
this will also open up a bigger window for interaction between them as they have 2 walls no 1 wall visible and new ones cant hide at the back as much as they have 2 angles to meet them,
under the first runs coop is my old egg compatment which i am making into a coop for the 15 younsters to go in, it will be mesh on the back side ( which is inside the other coop )(i have 1 shed with a coop built in the side wall for the other run acccessable inside to both )
so i am making the base a coop so at night the 15 new ones will be ''IN'' their coop where they all roost, giving 3 angles of interaction,

i will put all feeders and water around the edge so all birds eating share joy with eachother,
also MORE WATER FEEDERS BOWLS AND FOOD FEEDERS TROUGHS as i find they are getting territorial over water and food even if there is enough.
then THENI FIND THIS !!!! they get territorial over WOOD!! HIDE SPACES!! pirches!! toys!! LOGS!!!!! a bloody bit of plastic flapping!!!!! the gate spot!!!!


so they register the chnages at night and the effect is apparent the next day, so dont move stuff in the day do it at evening so when they come out its a whole NEW! adventure!! also LOADS of hide spaces pallets chairs benches whatever so there is alot of room to move and run hide without being cornered,

i am battling this now i hope ya get it working, my 7 weeker is a speckled sussex, my hens are sussex and my new birds are bramahs there so docile i dont they they will dodge being atacked there slow birds and just hide and hope for the best lol

i fall out with all my hens there absolute oooo i cant even use the words!! best friends... pfft

I didn't know chickens were so aware of every little detail. Sounds like your problem is a lot like mine and with a lot more birds involved. I have a small coop and run so will have to figure out how to segregate them all better. I also let the bigger birds free range all tbe time.

It also sounds like you like Sussexes. I only had 1 and now will have to get a new one someday. I was under the impression that they were docile and friendly also, I guess not so much when newcomers are involved.
Thank you for the advice and good luck integrating your 2 families!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Very sorry for your loss. It must be confusing when you're reading about integration on BYC because people start and actually have success at all ages it seems... And maybe that's because we all have different levels of what is acceptable risk. I have a high level of risk acceptance with adults due to the fact that they free range. But I have a low risk acceptance with chicks. The odds are not in their favor, the smaller they are. They're prime for Adult chickens and many predators including my feral cats. I might supervise a few "meet and greets," with littles and bigs, leading up to the full on integration, but to me that is when littles are close to the same size as bigs (around 10-12 weeks.) In general, the younger and smaller they are, the more fort knox is necessary. This run within my big run is how they can see but not touch each other. That phase is from about 5 weeks to about 10 weeks. It's a slow process if you want to play it safe and hardware cloth is the only acceptable fencing material for chicks brooders, where it's not wood, metal stone or glass..... Also, I LOVE SS's. Hope you get more.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-a-pictorial-guide.79343/

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I like your Coexist sign on your coop, lol. Hope it helps!

 

[Sinadrea]

Very sorry for your loss. It must be confusing when you're reading about integration on BYC because people start and actually have success at all ages it seems... And maybe that's because we all have different levels of what is acceptable risk. I have a high level of risk acceptance with adults due to the fact that they free range. But I have a low risk acceptance with chicks. The odds are not in their favor, the smaller they are. They're prime for Adult chickens and many predators including my feral cats. I might supervise a few "meet and greets," with littles and bigs, leading up to the full on integration, but to me that is when littles are close to the same size as bigs (around 10-12 weeks.) In general, the younger and smaller they are, the more fort knox is necessary. This run within my big run is how they can see but not touch each other. That phase is from about 5 weeks to about 10 weeks. It's a slow process if you want to play it safe and hardware cloth is the only acceptable fencing material for chicks brooders, where it's not wood, metal stone or glass..... Also, I LOVE SS's. Hope you get more.

View attachment 3918700

You have a fancy little run

Very sorry for your loss. It must be confusing when you're reading about integration on BYC because people start and actually have success at all ages it seems... And maybe that's because we all have different levels of what is acceptable risk. I have a high level of risk acceptance with adults due to the fact that they free range. But I have a low risk acceptance with chicks. The odds are not in their favor, the smaller they are. They're prime for Adult chickens and many predators including my feral cats. I might supervise a few "meet and greets," with littles and bigs, leading up to the full on integration, but to me that is when littles are close to the same size as bigs (around 10-12 weeks.) In general, the younger and smaller they are, the more fort knox is necessary. This run within my big run is how they can see but not touch each other. That phase is from about 5 weeks to about 10 weeks. It's a slow process if you want to play it safe and hardware cloth is the only acceptable fencing material for chicks brooders, where it's not wood, metal stone or glass..... Also, I LOVE SS's. Hope you get more.

View attachment 3918700 I was intending to have the new chicks enjoy being out because they are antsy indoors, I didn't realize how much of a target they would be if they escaped.

Is that your coop or chick run? It's nice. I felt bad that the SS was the first one killed and I will be careful with the remaining 5.

Very sorry for your loss. It must be confusing when you're reading about integration on BYC because people start and actually have success at all ages it seems... And maybe that's because we all have different levels of what is acceptable risk. I have a high level of risk acceptance with adults due to the fact that they free range. But I have a low risk acceptance with chicks. The odds are not in their favor, the smaller they are. They're prime for Adult chickens and many predators including my feral cats. I might supervise a few "meet and greets," with littles and bigs, leading up to the full on integration, but to me that is when littles are close to the same size as bigs (around 10-12 weeks.) In general, the younger and smaller they are, the more fort knox is necessary. This run within my big run is how they can see but not touch each other. That phase is from about 5 weeks to about 10 weeks. It's a slow process if you want to play it safe and hardware cloth is the only acceptable fencing material for chicks brooders, where it's not wood, metal stone or glass..... Also, I LOVE SS's. Hope you get more.

View attachment 3918700

I was intending to have the new chicks enjoy being out because they are antsy indoors, I didn't realize how much of a target they would be if they escaped.

Is that your coop or chick run? It's nice. I felt bad that the SS was the first one killed and I will be careful with the remaining 5. I miss her already!

 

[Sinadrea]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-a-pictorial-guide.79343/

Thank you. I will be cautious this time.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

We all do the best we can with our own logic, good intentions and aptitude for risk. No judgement here, I've learned many harsh lessons. I've had chickens for about 20 years. If you click on my coop you can see alot of pics of it today as well as a link to how it started as a dog house, haha. The little run is attached to the coop where they have their own room inside, slit away from the mean ole bigs. They seem to forget and/or do not care that they too, were in the little's spot not so long ago.

 

[Sinadrea]

It's really nice, it has some depth to it. We just bought an over EZ coop. It was okay but way too expensive for the quality of it. The run was overpriced also. We had a harsh winter and some chicks got frostbite while in it still.
I realized today I should take care of my older chickens better before adding extra chicks after these chicks are integrated. I will reward myself and my 5 month old with a brand new Sussex for 4H projects